We are excited to share that Dr. Helen Egger, Co-Founder and Chief Medical & Scientific Officer of Little Otter, recently spoke at the Fortune Brainstorm Health conference. The discussion was moderated by Fortune’s Alexa Mikhail, and additional panelists included Kristina Saffran, Co-founder and CEO of Equip, Zoe Tait, Vice President, National Student Advisory Committee of Active Minds, and Solome Tibebu, Founder and CEO of Behavioral Health Tech. One of the focal points for this year’s event was youth mental health, a topic of extreme importance as we navigate the rising mental health crisis among young people.
Dr. Egger opened the discussion by emphasizing that the youth mental health crisis predates global challenges like COVID-19. "For the last 30 years, we've known that 20% of kids have an impairing mental health disorder and fewer than 50% get care," Dr. Egger noted. This longstanding issue of access to high-quality mental health care, compounded by stigma, has only worsened over time.
The panel delved into various contributors to the mental health challenges faced by today’s youth, such as social media and information overload. The discussion also touched on the impact of perceived community through digital platforms, which may actually be creating a false sense of community. This false connection can lead to isolation, further exacerbating mental health issues in young people.
Dr. Egger responded to these points by highlighting the critical need for high-quality mental health care. "The majority of mental health care is not very good. We have not held ourselves accountable as a field," she noted. Dr. Egger emphasized that mental health disorders are medical disorders deserving the same standard of care as physical health issues. Early intervention, particularly in childhood, is critical since 50% of adult mental health disorders begin before age 14.
At Little Otter, we’re dedicated to addressing these challenges through our comprehensive, whole-family approach to mental health care. Our model includes children’s therapy, couples counseling, child psychiatry, parenting support, and mental health check-ups. By treating children within the context of their family relationships, we aim to provide more effective and lasting support.
The panel also explored the potential of digital innovations in improving mental health care. Dr. Egger acknowledged the role of technology but stressed the importance of evidence-based treatments and accountability. "There's no quick bot that is going to really be an evidence-based intervention for a child with an eating disorder, an anxiety disorder, with depression," she cautioned. High-quality care must be measurable and based on solid scientific evidence.
At the end of the event, each panelist shared their vision for the future of mental health care. Dr. Egger called for accountability across the field, urging both professionals and payers to prioritize high standards and measurable outcomes. At Little Otter, we remain committed to providing accessible, evidence-based mental health care for children and their families, striving to improve the lives of people affected by mental health disorders.
If you're interested in learning more about Little Otter, click the link below to discover how we’re working to change the landscape of family mental health care. You can also download our recently released white paper to learn about the importance of early mental healthcare intervention for kids and families.
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